Vacuum breaker valve

ABSTRACT

A vacuum breaking valve assembly having two members, each of which has at least one smooth face, the members being juxtapositioned with the smooth face of one member facing, and in closed position, engaging the smooth face of the other member, the said members being hinged or otherwise held together at adjacent ends thereof to permit them to move away from and toward each other, said members being spring biased toward each other, at least one of said members being machined or drilled to provide using them both when in engaged relationship a continuous passage, said valve being adapted to be placed into a suction line and therein to break suction when a face is pivoted or moved away from the other as when an extended portion of one member is acted on by a physical force; in one embodiment in an assembly machine the valve serving to break suction in a paper disc and ring assembly mechanism wherein the paper disc is carried by a suction actuated device to the ring for placement therein upon breaking of suction by said valve as it is acted on by bringing said ring into assembly position of the assembly machine. In a now preferred modification, both members of the valve are machined or drilled to provide a continuous passageway which is broken when the members are separated.

United States Patent [72] inventor Guy L. Kelly Kansas City, KIM- [21] Appl. No. 870,463 [22] Filed Dec.9, 1969 Division of Ser. No. 631,694, Apr. 19, 1967.

3.507.030 [45] Patented July 27, 1971 [73] Assignee Phillips Petroleum Company [54] VACUUM BREAKER VALVE 6 Claims,3 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.C1 251/303 [51] lnt.Cl Fl6k 1/16 [50] Field oISearch... 285/9, 181, 184; l37/608,6l6, 143;251/l45, 298, 303,149.5

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,394,207 10/1921 Medine 251/303 X 1,494,694 5/1924 McCaw 137/615 X 2,705,156 3/1955 Torre 285/184X 2,732,228 1/1956 Armstrong 285/184 X 2,838,268 6/1956 Ryckman 251/303 X Primary Examiner1-1enry '1. Klinksiek Attorney-Young and Quigg ABSTRACT: A vacuum breaking valve assembly having two members, each of which has at least one smooth face, the members being juxtapositioned with the smooth face of one member facing, and in closed position, engaging the smooth face of the other member, the said members being hinged or otherwise held together at adjacent ends thereof to permit them to move away from and toward each other, said members being spring biased toward each other, at least one of said members being machined or drilled to provide using them both when in engaged relationship a continuous passage, said valve being adapted to be placed into a suction line and therein to break suction when a face is pivoted or moved away from the other as when an extended portion of one member is acted on by a physical force; in one embodiment in an as sembly machine the valve serving to break suction in a paper disc and ring assembly mechanism wherein the paper disc is carried by a suction actuated device to the ring for placement therein upon breaking of suction by said valve as it is acted on by bringing said ring into assembly position of the assembly machine. In a now preferred modification, both members of the valve are machined or drilled to provide a continuous passageway which is broken when the members are separated.

PATENTEU JUL27 I97l INVENTOR.

G. L, KELLY ATTORNEYS VACUUM BREAKER VALVE This is a division application of my copending application having Ser. No. 631,694, filed Apr. 19, 1967, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,507,030.

This invention relates to a vacuum breaker valve.

ln one of its aspects, the invention relates to a novel vacuum breaker valve adapted to be acted upon as by a component to which is to be furnished a further component for assembly of the two components. in another of its aspects, the invention relates to an operation of said valve to bring into assembled relationship at least two components of a final assembled structure.

In one of its concepts, the invention provides a vacuum breaker valve comprising essentially two members, each having'a smooth face, the members being juxtapositioned and hinged at one of their ends, and spring biased, so that the smooth faces are brought into engaging relationship each with the other, at least one of said members being machined or drilled to provide, when said members are in juxtaposition, a continuous passageway through the mass of the juxtapositioned members, and when both of said members are machined or drilled to provide a continuous passage through both of said members and through the engaged faces, the valve being adapted to open against the spring bias as when an extended portion of one of said members is physically acted on while the other member is held in fixed position.

in the high-speed operation of machines for assembling components economically and in foolproof manner, it is necessary on a split second timing basis to reach for, to convey, and to position an assembly component together with another assembly component. This is done in many instances employing a suction device and it follows that the suction device must be rendered operative to produce suction and to break suction rapidly and effectively. Further, such valves are desirably so constructed and arranged as to be easily cleaned and preferably nonclogging in character so that use over an extended period of time with proper results will be assured.

Thus, the aspects, concepts and objects of the invention as it has been described for disclosure purposes consonant with the law and practice thereunder, can be various and include modifications, a principal object of the invention being to provide a vacuum breaker valve structure or assembly while another being to provide a nonclogging vacuum breaker structure or assembly having a design simplicity such that it can be machined or otherwise structured with minimum expense and expenditure of highly skilled labor.

Other aspects, concepts and advantages of the invention are apparent from a study of this disclosure, the drawings and the appended claims.

According to the invention, there is provided a vacuum breaker valve assembly comprised of two valve bodies, each having a smooth or ground surface preferably but not necessarily being planar, the bodies being juxtapositioned with the said surfaces adjacent to or engaging each other, the bodies being hinged at or near one end thereof to permit the said surface on each, i.e. their faces, to pivot toward and away from each other, at least one of the bodies preferably at a position removed from said hinge being machined or drilled so as to provide a continuous passageway through the mass of said bodies when in juxtaposition and when both of said bodies are machined or drilled as through said faces providing through them and said faces, said bodies being spring biased toward each other so that the faces will tend to remain engaged, one of said bodies being supported or mounted in a fixed relation to an apparatus in which the valve is to function and the other of said bodies being so further constructed and arranged so as to respond to a force acting thereon to move its face away from the face of the mounted body.

Although the bodies or members of the valve of the invention are described as being hinged at one end other equivalent means of hinging them together, holding them together and separating them are within the scope of this disclosure and the claims. For example, the bodies can be caged in by a group of splined shafts and moved toward and away from each other without being necessarily pivoted.

A paper disc and ring assembly machine embodying a valve cording to the invention;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a modification of F IG. 1.

Referring now to FIG. 1, elements 2 and 3 are valve bodies urged together by the bias of spring 4. These bodies are drilled through at 5 as shown by the dotted lines providing a continuous passageway through bodies 2 and 3 when bodies 2 and 3 are in the position as shown. The bodies are hinged at 6. in lieu of being hinged at 6, other means of holding or guiding the bodies together can be used. However, hinging is now preferred. Bodies 2 and 3 are possessed of smooth or ground planar faces so that the interface designated as 7 provides a seal when the faces are together. An extension 8 is provided so that when body 2 is held in fixed relation and extension 8 is urged upwardly, body 3 will move downwardly, pivoting away from body 2, breaking the passageway 5 at interface 7.

Referring now to FIG. 2, stand 10 has respectively mounted thereon assembly component supply chute 11, rack and pinion gear assembly 12, and a vacuum breaker valve 13 according to the invention, body 2 of which is held in fixed relation to sector gear 20 by means of member 14. Sector gear 20 is held in a central neutral position by springs 36 and 37 of stops 34 and 35. The assembly supply chute 11 contains, in

this embodiment, paper discs 16.

Rack and pinion gear assembly 12 is actuated by actuating arm 17 and bar 18 causing the pinion gear 19 to travel sector gear 20. The pinion gear is fixed between bar 18 and drilled arm 21 which is in fluid communication with pipe 22. Pipe 22 is in communication by means of rubber hose connection, omitted for sake of simplicity of the drawing, with port 5 of valve 13. Port 23 of valve 13 is connected to a vacuum line. Suction acting in the swinging end of am 21 will be broken instantaneously and with certainty when valve 13 is actuated to move body 3 away from body 2.

A traveling plate 25 positions a ring 26 in manner to actuate arm 8 of valve 13 to open the valve when arm 8 is moved against the ring 26. In overall operation, actuating arm 17 pulls downwardly upon bar 18 which rotates about pivot 33 causing pinion gear 19 to travel upwardly on secton gear 20 until arm 18 is against stop 30 swinging arm 21 up to a position just below the assembly component supply chute 11. Continued movement of arm 18 causes the rack and pinion gear assembly 12 to move in an are about pivot 33 against spring 37 until limited by stop 35. At this time arm 21 is in its uppermost position and suction is being provided through pipe 22. A paper disc 16 is thus sucked against the upper end of arm 21. Next actuating am 17 is moved upwardly causing paper disc 16 to be pivoted about 33 until sector gear 12 comes to its central neutral position then it is rotated by pinion 19 and moved downwardly into position with arm 18 against stop 32 just above the place at which it is to be assembled with a ring 26. When paper disc 16 has reached a position at which it can be released, a ring 26 will have been moved into position. Continued movement of arm 18 causes the rack and pinion gear assembly 12 to move in an are about pivot 33 against spring 36 until limited by stop 34. Continued movement of arm 18 also causes arm 8 to move against ring 26 and actuate the valve and to break suction, whereupon disc 16 is deposited into ring 26.

It will be evident to those skilled in the art that certain portions of equipment or machinery, such as a cammed device for actuating arm 17, have been omitted forsake of simplicity. Further, it will be evident that various assembly machines or other suction operated devices can be operated with the suction valve of the invention. Thus, the suction valve of the invention can be used wherever suction is to be broken from time to time, for example the valve can be applied to a machine which simply picks up, carries and deposits elsewhere any object such as a machine component, a building component or finished article of manufacture. All kinds of shaped articles or materials can be thus transported providing only that there be a mating of the surface thereof with a correspondingly shaped surface at the end of the suction cup or arm, which in the case of the just described machine is arm 21.

Respecting such devices, the vacuum breaker valve of the invention in its now preferred form is possessed of an arm or extension such as depicted at 8 in the figures of the drawing. Such an arm or feeler serves a dual purpose. Thus, it serves to break vacuum by opening the valve. It also serves to sense whether a ring has been placed into a proper position to receive the paper disc. If there is no ring, the machine will continue to operate, arm 21 will swing up again and come back down again without ever letting go paper disc 16 or picking up another disc until such time in foolproof manner another ring has been picked up and deposited in turn. One skilled in the art in possession of his disclosure and having studied the same and thus having appreciated the concepts involved therein will readily design other embodiments wherein to embody a valve according to the invention. He will understand that the valve according to the invention can have various shapes and sizes and can be differently actuated. It is within the scope of the invention to actuate both bodies 2 and 3 of the valve rather than just one of them, depending upon the use to which the valve is to be put. Thus, in its broadest form the valve can have a fixed body and a movable body and does not require an arm such as at 8. It merely needs to be actuated to move relative to each other bodies 2 and 3 to break the suction.

' The vacuum breaker valve of the invention has been described in a now preferred form. While it is necessary that the movable elements or bodies of the valve engage each other so as to permit attaining a desired degree of suction for the operation with which the valve is used, it is within the scope of the invention to so shape the respective faces of the elements of the movable valve that purposes other than merely to seal sufficiently to attain desired vacuum or suction are served. Accordingly, while the smooth faces have herein been described at times to be planar, it is within the scope of the invention to shape them in any manner and in any form so long as when they are brought together they will function to provide the degree of sealing desired.

Further, it will be understood that the invention can be modified according to teachings of it herein so as to provide a different form for the continuous passageway, that is to say to provide other than a straight line passageway through both of the elements or bodies of the valve. For example, operationally speaking, an equivalent structure for the valve is one in which only one of the bodies or elements is drilled and the other provides merely a seal with which to open or to close a movable wall of the passageway or a branch connecting to it.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the entire drilling to form the passageway is accomplished in element 2, ingress and egress for the fluid being pumped being through the top wall 2a, upstanding wall 217, and face 21:. In operation at least one of elements 2 and 3 is moved about hinge 6 breaking suction or vacuum at face 2a. It is within the scope of the invention to otherwise drill the elements. The passageway can be otherwise formed as one skilled in the art in possession of this disclosure having studied the same will understand.

Further, it will be evident to said skilled in the art that the portion of a face forming at least a portion of a wall of a passageway or branch thereof, may be variously shaped to insure the desired degree of sealing.

Reasonable variation and modification are possible within the scope of the foregoing disclosure, the drawing and the appended claims to the invention, the essence of which is that there has been provided a nonclogging vacuum breaker valve composed essentially of two bodies hinged or otherwise held and/or guided together, each body having a smooth or machined face, the faces being in engaging relationship with each other and at least one of said bodies being drilled through and through at least one of said faces to provide a continuous substantially leakproof passageway through at least one of said bodies when said faces are engaged, the face drilled through when only one body is drilled through being in said one body, in a preferred form said bodies being spring biased together and hinged to permit pivoting at the hinge of said faces away from and toward each other.

I claim:

1. A vacuum breaker valve comprising in combination at least two blocklike elements, each of which is possessed of a machined face, said elements being held in a manner to permit maintaining at will the machined faces in substantially sealing engaging relationship in closed position of the valve, at least a first of said elements being drilled through and through at least one of said faces to provide a continuous substantially leakproof passageway through at least one of said elements when said faces are engaged, the face drilled through when only one element is drilled through being in said first element, said elements further having means to permit moving said faces toward and away from each other.

2. A valve according to claim 1 wherein both elements are drilled through and through their respective machined faces to provide a continuous passageway when said faces are engaged.

3. A valve accordingto claim 1 wherein only one of said elements is drilled to form said passageway, said one element being drilled completely straight through its machined face and also through another portion spaced from said face the drilled portions merging to form said continuous passageway while the other element of the valve in engaging position of the machined faces serves to close the aperture at which said one element is drilled through its machined face.

4. A valve according to claim 1 wherein the elements are substantially rectangular in shape, the two elements are hinged at their ends in a manner hold together said elements with their machined faces in juxtaposition in closed position of the valve and to permit said faces to swing about said hinge to open said valve.

5. A valve according to claim 1 wherein the elements are biased together by a spring affixed to them.

6. A valve according to claim 2 wherein one of the elements is provided with a means for pivoting the same about same hinge. 

1. A vacuum breaker valve comprising in combination at least two blocklike elements, each of which is possessed of a machined face, said elements being held in a manner to permit maintaining at will the machined faces in substantially sealing engaging relationship in closed position of the valve, at least a first of said elements being drilled through and through at least one of said faces to provide a continuous substantially leakproof passageway through at least one of said elements when said faces are engaged, the face drilled through when only one element is drilled through being in said first element, said elements further having means to permit moving said faces toward and away from each other.
 2. A valve according to claim 1 wherein both elements are drilled through and through their respective machined faces to provide a continuous passageway when Said faces are engaged.
 3. A valve according to claim 1 wherein only one of said elements is drilled to form said passageway, said one element being drilled completely straight through its machined face and also through another portion spaced from said face the drilled portions merging to form said continuous passageway while the other element of the valve in engaging position of the machined faces serves to close the aperture at which said one element is drilled through its machined face.
 4. A valve according to claim 1 wherein the elements are substantially rectangular in shape, the two elements are hinged at their ends in a manner hold together said elements with their machined faces in juxtaposition in closed position of the valve and to permit said faces to swing about said hinge to open said valve.
 5. A valve according to claim 1 wherein the elements are biased together by a spring affixed to them.
 6. A valve according to claim 2 wherein one of the elements is provided with a means for pivoting the same about same hinge. 